headingwest

hehe, I meant 'normal womens' handbag' in the context of a normal bag that women carry (not in the context of a normal woman, of course!), and not in the context of hand baggage on an aircraft. Is that clear now?

...but really, it is a bit extreme to have a status bag tag on a handbag, isn't it?

alvintc

Actually quite interesting, on my recent SFO trip (via LAX) in CW both routes neither my wife nor I managed 1st choice on meals. At the time we were both blues so I'm guessing that's the reason - low priority & all that!

LTN Phobia

It sounds that way.

In CW/F (not sure about WT+) I believe they take the orders from everyone and then prioritise them according to status, so if you are Gold, it's far more likely that you will get your first choice of meal than if you are Blue, for instance.

I feel a bit sad for those without status and therefore have a reduced chance of getting what they want, but I guess it needs to be prioritised one way or another unless they load a lot more extras and waste more money and food.

Can I help you

Well hopefully this won't happen in the future with the advance meal option system, all customers will get an email 7 days before travel advising them that they can choose the main course up to 24 hours before departure.

Tobias-UK

That is excellent, and a true enhancement ^

bealine

I don't know where your friend got that idea from. For sure, Gold Card holders are valuable to BA and little requests, within reason, should be offered willingly. However, there are strict rules concerning items being used across cabins - for example, a Club World Duvet or food being brought from the Club World galley and being used in WT+ or WT is a definite no-no!

As a BA employee, I don't think it's a good idea to introduce threads like this. Inside BA, we're continually told to exercise "consistency" and if one of your GC peers gets a CW Duvet in WT today, but tomorrow we refuse you, how would that make you feel?

If BA management realise rules are being flouted, then it could have serious repercussions for the staff member. If an employee is "nice" and breaks the rules, enjoy it and keep it dark!

Can I help you

It is absolutly incorrect that GCH can have anything they want, will I give them give a priority over a SCH, yes and a SCH over a Blue.
I will do my best for anyone with a problem but that doesn't mean an upgrade just because you have a .......card (enter colour of your choice) I feel that I should do my best for everyone.

headingwest

Good point bealine, but I suppose it's human nature that people have to boast about something nice. Not a problem for me...I've never been given anything because of my status (or maybe lack of status ).

I did read somewhere that it's policy that attendants must break the seal on bottles before handing to the passenger, is that true?

A few people have mentioned that they have been given bottles of wine, gin, or champagne when leaving the airplane. Does that happen often!?

Can I help you

I can answer some of this, all miniatures and quarter bottles of wine should have the tops cracked before serving, tops need to be taken off and be kept on flights into Saudi Arabia.
Any bottles of wine/champagne given to customers to takeoff should be for service recovery reasons and should be documented.

headingwest

Thanks for clarifying Can I help you, you really are very helpful indeed

LTN Phobia

I rarely make any special request but my last 'special request' to the SCCM I made was a completely random one - and was granted.

I was uncharacteristically in the aisle seat (CW - I was op-upped, so I couldn't book a window seat). Before the meal I was visited by the SCCM (can't remember if it was CSD or CSM) to say hello and asked me to call for him if I needed anything. He seemed like a very nice, competent chap.

During meal service, I over-heard my seat neighbour, a complete stranger in the window seat, declined the meal but asked for cheese when they were going to do the pudding/cheese service. She was promised it by the crew member to be given it when they came round with the puddings/cheese, but somehow when they came round with the puddings or cheese, the crew members missed her completely. Perhaps it was due to a lot of DYKWIA behaviour going on around where I was seated (multiple people trying to hog the crew members with their repeated requests for all sorts), distracting the crew members. I only realised too late that they missed her, or I'd have said something to the crew themselves to remind them.

She realised she had been missed out a little bit later, and asked a crew member, very politely, if they had any cheese left. They said they had none left. My seat neighbour sounded rather disappointed but was polite about it, but I also felt that the crew might get into trouble if she made a complaint later - there was a little bit of an 'edge' to the interaction.

Regardless, I felt this was quite a major fail in terms of customer service - they promised her the cheese, and then overlooked her, and had run out of cheese, when that was all she wanted, and also felt the crew members' apologies may not quite have been enough.

I quietly stood up to look for the SCCM to describe what happened but hopefully without incriminating the crew members - mistakes happen, especially with disruptions around them - and to see if he'd perhaps grab a small amount of cheese left from F to serve this passenger to appease her. I wouldn't have done this if she was horribly rude or if I felt the crew members were incompetent (then I'd have said so while asking about the same thing). But this was one of those situations I felt I could do something about, by taking up the SCCM on his offer of being available to help, although I felt cheeky to even "intervene" in this way. I wouldn't have done it for myself to be honest but I feel a little more brave when it's for someone else.

Thankfully he was very happy that I spoke to him, although a bit horrified that she was missed out, and said he'd get some if there's any left.

A few minutes later he brought the cheese to her, apologising, and asked her if she wanted anything else, and she seemed happy. The smile on his face as he briefly looked at me made me feel happy that I picked up the courage to do this despite somehow feeling cheeky. He later thanked me again. Sometimes, it's worth being a bit brave.

Anyway, I think it confirms what you said, CIHY, that the SCCMs do their best to solve the problem. I wasn't asking for an upgrade (hey, I got one without asking by way of an unsolicited op-up )!

This is the only story I can remember of asking for "extra" as a Gold member on board, although it wasn't exactly in Y.

headingwest

What a nice thing to do LTN Phobia, very sensibly handled. ^

DorsetKnob

I had that once. Just before landing one of the cabin crew came down to me handed me a bottle of wine and said something like "We forgot to put this bottle away when we were sealing the bars for landing, I noticed you'd been drinking this, would you like it?"

Can I help you

Of course that never happens DorsetKnob, nor do we ever away any part used bottles.

ComputerCommuter

[Full] Bottle of wine from CW,
Inflight upgrade CW and CE
CW snacks
Champers in ET

Every so often, a personal greeting and welcome onboard chat, which is always nice